Compilation of previous studies on secondary effects induced by earthquake and fault activity (Contract research)

Goto, Akira; Murakami, Masaki*; Sakai, Ryutaro*; Terusawa, Shuji*; Sueoka, Shigeru

JAEA-Review 2020-003, 60 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Review-2020-003.pdf:4.43MB

One of the natural phenomena that may affect the geological disposal system are earthquake and fault activity. Fault displacement due to the earthquake and fault activity will be considered the direct effects. In addition to it, it is necessary to consider the secondary effects include secondary faults formed by the seismic fault activity as well as spring water and mud volcanoes that are generated by fluid movement attributed to the fault activity. This paper introduces previous studies performed focused on the hydraulic effects (spring water and mud volcanoes) and mechanical effects (secondary faults) in order to understand the effects of these secondary phenomena on the geological disposal system. We were able to collect 142 literatures from Japan and overseas by searching for related keywords in Japanese and English. As a result, we compiled case studies of each secondary impact. From the viewpoint of geological disposal, we extracted the following issues for future research and development. As for the sump water induced by earthquakes and faulting, accumulation of information related to its mechanism, affected area, and activity history is required. As for the mud volcanoes, reviewing of the mechanism of anomalous pore water pressure that causing the formation, also development of estimation technique are required. And for the secondary faults, accumulation of the detailed spatial distribution and reviewing of formation mechanism are required.

Annual report for FY2018 on activities of decommissioning and radioactive waste management

Sector of Nuclear Fuel, Decommissioning and Waste Management Technology Development

JAEA-Review 2019-021, 149 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Review-2019-021.pdf:9.51MB

This annual report summarizes the activities of decommissioning and radioactive waste management in JAEA in the period from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019. Decommissioning activities and radioactive waste treatment activities were carried out according to the annual plan. Decommissioning plan of Tokai Vitrification Facility of Tokai Reprocessing Plant (TRP) of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories (NCL) was approved by Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) in June 2018. Uranium Enrichment Demonstration Plant of Ningyo-toge Environmental Engineering Center (Ningyo-toge), application for approval of decommissioning plan was submitted to NRA in September 2018. The dismantling cost of JAEA facilities were evaluated by DECOST Code, and the results were reflected by Facilities Management Plan. Radioactive waste generated from R&D activities in JAEA were treated and managed safety. Also, the construction of Oarai Waste Reduction Treatment Facility (OWTF) of Oarai Research and Development Institute was completed in March, 2019. As technology development pertaining to treatment and radioactive wastes activities were carried out according to the annual plan. Sampling technology of the reactor component and laser cutting technology have been developed towards reactor decommissioning in Fugen Decommissioning Engineering Center. In Ningyo-toge, a uranium measurement technology has been developed to verify the clearance level.

Annual report for FY2015 - 2016 on activities of decommissioning and radioactive waste management

Sector of Nuclear Fuel, Decommissioning and Waste Management Technology Development

JAEA-Review 2019-019, 118 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Review-2019-019.pdf:8.57MB

This annual report summarizes the activities of decommissioning and radioactive waste management in JAEA in the period from April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2017. Decommissioning activities and radioactive waste treatment activities were carried out according to the annual plan. To reduce a risk of storage of high-level radioactive liquid waste, produced 25 vitrified wastes at Tokai Vitrification Facility of Tokai Reprocessing Plant (TRP) of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories (NCL). Radioactive waste generated from R&D activities in JAEA were treated and managed safety. Also, the construction of Oarai Waste Reduction Treatment Facility (OWTF) of Oarai Research and Development Center was carried out. As technology development pertaining to treatment and radioactive wastes activities were carried out according to the annual plan. Laser cutting technology have been developed towards reactor decommissioning in Fugen Decommissioning Engineering Center. In Ningyo-toge Environmental Enginnering Center, a uranium measurement technology has been developed to verify the clearance level.

Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory Project; Synthesis report on the R&D concerning important issues

Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; Hama, Katsuhiro

JAEA-Research 2019-012, 157 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Research-2019-012.pdf:11.91MB

The Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU) Project is being pursued by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to enhance the reliability of relevant disposal technologies for geological disposal of High-level Radioactive Waste through investigations of the deep geological environment within the host crystalline rock at Mizunami City in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan. The project proceeds in three overlapping phases, "Phase I: Surface-based investigation Phase", "Phase II: Construction Phase" and "Phase III: Operation Phase". The MIU Project has been ongoing the Phase III, as the Phase II was concluded for a moment with the completion of the excavation of horizontal tunnels at GL-500m level in February 2014. The present report summarizes the research and development activities carried out mainly in the GL-500m stage during Third Medium to Long-term Research Phase.

Data of groundwater chemistry obtained in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project (FY2017-FY2019)

Miyakawa, Kazuya; Mezawa, Tetsuya*; Mochizuki, Akihito; Sasamoto, Hiroshi

JAEA-Data/Code 2020-001, 41 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Data-Code-2020-001.pdf:3.75MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2020-001-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:0.34MB

Development of technologies to investigate properties of deep geological environment and model development of geological environment have been pursued in "Geoscientific Research" in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (Horonobe URL) project. A geochemical model which is a part of geological environment model requires the data of groundwater chemistry around the Horonobe URL for the development. This report summarizes the data obtained for 3 years from the fiscal year 2017 to 2019, especially for the results for measurement of physico-chemical parameters and analysis of groundwater chemistry, in the Horonobe URL project.

Data acquisition for radionuclide sorption on barrier materials for performance assessment of geological disposal of TRU wastes

Tachi, Yukio; Suyama, Tadahiro*; Mihara, Morihiro

JAEA-Data/Code 2019-021, 101 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Data-Code-2019-021.pdf:4.05MB

Sorption of radionuclides in cement and bentonite as engineered barrier materials, and rocks as natural barrier is the one of key processes in the performance assessment of geological disposal of TRU and highlevel waste. The magnitude of sorption, expressed normally by a distribution coefficient (K), needs to be measured and determined taking into account the properties of barrier materials and geochemical conditions and associated uncertainty in the performance assessment. The basic concept for TRU waste disposal contains cementitious materials as an engineered barrier materials, in addition to bentonite and rock. It is therefore needed to consider the effects of the cement degradation and co-existing substances such as nitrates on radionuclide sorption. This report focused on data acquisition of distribution coefficient (K) by batch sorption experiments for the systems coupling barrier material-chemical condition-radionuclides that are needed to consider for the performance assessment of geological disposal of TRU waste. The barrier materials considered are ordinary Portland cement (OPC), degraded OPC and tuff rock. The chemical conditions are distilled water and synthetic seawater equilibrated with OPC and those containing nitrates and ammonium salts, etc. The radionuclides considered are organic carbon, inorganic carbon, Cl, I, Cs, Ni, Se, Sr, Sn, Nb, Am and Th. Although K values have been partly reported previously as RAMDA (Radionucldie Migration Datasets) for the performance assessment in the TRU-2 report, these results and addition K data are reported with the details of experimental methods and conditions.

Hydrochemical investigation at the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory; Compilation of groundwater chemistry data in the Mizunami group and the Toki granite (fiscal year 2018)

Fukuda, Kenji; Watanabe, Yusuke; Murakami, Hiroaki; Amano, Yuki; Aosai, Daisuke*; Kumamoto, Yoshiharu*; Iwatsuki, Teruki

JAEA-Data/Code 2019-019, 74 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Data-Code-2019-019.pdf:3.53MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been investigating groundwater chemistry to understand the influence of excavation and maintenance of underground facilities as part of the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU) Project in Mizunami, Gifu, Japan. In this report, we compiled data of groundwater chemistry and microbiology obtained at the MIU in the fiscal year 2018. In terms of ensuring traceability of data, basic information (e.g. sampling location, sampling time, sampling method and analytical method) and methodology for quality control are described.

A Study for a fire gas behavior by using a vertical shaft model (Contract research)

Abe, Hironobu; Hatakeyama, Nobuya; Yamazaki, Masanao; Okuzono, Akihiko*; Sakai, Tetsuo*; Inoue, Masahiro*

JAEA-Research 2009-019, 192 Pages, 2020/02

JAEA-Research-2009-019.pdf:8.07MB

Construction of the underground facility is on going at the Horonobe Underground Research Center, a division of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. The facility is consisted of three shafts and horizontal drifts at the completion of construction and it is excavated in geological environment with methane gas, so it is important to secure the workers and visitors security in case of fire in the underground. However, it is known that the fire gas such as methane shows a complicated behavior by drift effect and so on and very difficult to predict its behavior, even if under enforced ventilation. In order to construct new prediction method of the fire gas behavior, the model scaled experiments were conducted by using the basic model which consists of shafts and drifts. As a results, fundamental data of the fire gas behavior was grasped and complicated behavior of the fire gas such as three-dimensional backflow and main flow inversion phenomena at the underground structure were ascertained. A new fire gas behavior analysis system has been designed and a prototype system has been programmed which is able to simulate the phenomena noted above. Coupling analysis method is adapted to the system, which consists of mainly one-dimensional ventilation network analysis and simplified computational fluid dynamics program named M-CFD. To minimize calculation time, M-CFD was designed as two-dimensional calculation with simulators multi area analysis system. Using the prototype system, several experimented models representing typical behavior of fire gas have been simulated for model scaled experiments. The system qualitatively reappeared the phenomena such as back flow or main flow inversion, and most of calculations completed in expected time. This indicates appropriateness of the prototype system, but some upgrade such as heat conductivity analysis in the wall rock mass transfer calculation, user friendly interface system and others will be required.

Groundwater pressure records by geochemical monitoring system in the 350 m gallery of the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (FY 2016-2018)

Mochizuki, Akihito; Miyakawa, Kazuya; Sasamoto, Hiroshi

JAEA-Data/Code 2019-014, 56 Pages, 2020/02

JAEA-Data-Code-2019-014.pdf:6.56MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2019-014-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:5.81MB

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been conducting "geoscientific study" and "research and development on geological disposal" in the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) for safe geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Groundwater pressure and geochemical parameters such as pH and oxidation-reduction potential in the deep groundwater have been continuously monitored with monitoring systems which were developed in the Horonobe URL Project. This report presents the data of groundwater pressure which have been obtained by the monitoring systems installed at the 350 m gallery. The data obtained from April 1, 2016 until March 31, 2019 was summarized along with related information such as the specifications of boreholes and the excavation of the URL.

Influence of mixing solution on characteristics of calcium aluminate cement modified with sodium polyphosphate

Irisawa, Keita; Garcia-Lodeiro, I.*; Kinoshita, Hajime*

Cement and Concrete Research, 128, p.105951_1 - 105951_7, 2020/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2019.105951

This study investigated characteristics of a calcium aluminate cement modified with a phosphate (CAP) by changing an amount and concentration of mixing solution with sodium polyphosphate. When the amount of mixing solution was increased with a constant amount of sodium polyphosphate, an enhanced consumption of monocalcium aluminate was observed compared with gehlenite in calcium aluminate cement (CAC). Formation of gibbsite, Al(OH), was also increased as a hydration product in the CAP and the possible reduction of water in the amorphous gel phase. When the amount of mixing solution was increased with a constant concentration of sodium polyphosphate, the enhanced consumption of monocalcium aluminate was not observed. Neither gibbsite nor any other crystalline hydration products were identified in this series. In addition, unreacted sodium polyphosphate remained in the system. The increased formation of gibbsite and the possible reduction of water from the amorphous gel phase appears to contribute to the improvement of the microstructure in the products.